Feed mechanism for labeling machines



Aug. 16, 1932. E. ERMOLD FEED MECHANISM FOR: LABELING MACHINES Filed July 7, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR re! 51 Li n L Hlumw? @L M n I J 1W 1 Q Q Q h f I O ATTQR SEY Aug. 16, 1932. r ERMQLD I 1,871,676

FEED MECHANISM FOR LABELING MACHINES Filed July 7, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Edward E'rmaZal BYC ATTORNEY Aug. 16, 1932. E. ERMOLD 1,871,676

FEED MECHANISM FOR LABELING MACHINES Filed July 7, 19:50 5 Sheets-Sheet a- INVENTOR EJward'Ermo al ATTORN Aug. 16, 1932.

E. ERMQLD 1,871,676 FEED IECHA NISH FOR LABELING IACHINES Filed July- 7. 1930' 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 1 [l3 i x INVENTOR "E uard 5 732202% ATTORN Y Au 16, 1932. E, ERMOLD I 1,871,676

FEED MECHANISM FOR LABELING MACHINES Filed July 7, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR Edwa d 'Fma 0C ATTORN Y Patented A 16, 1932' EDWARD amonn, or mew YORK, N. Y. a

FEED MECHANISM FOR LABELING MACHINES- Application filed July 7, 1930. Serial no; 466,148.

This invention relates to feed mechanism for labeling machines, and has for its general object and purpose to provide automatically operating mechanism for rapidly and accurately feeding containersof relatively large size to a conveyer or other means for transporting the individual containers to the label applying mechanism. i a

-More particularly, it is the object and purpose of my present improvements to provide such an automatically operating feed mechanism for feeding glass bottles of relatively lar e size while maintaining the same in uprig 1; position tothe transporting conveyer, said mechanism embodying certain novel features of construction whereby positive feed of'the individual bottles is assured, and high speed operation made possible with an avoidance of breakage. It is also a further general object of my-invention toprovide feedmechanism for the above purpose, the several parts of which are of comparatively sim le 'mechanical form and which may be designed for application to labeling machines of the-multiple type which simultaneously apply the -labels to a plurality of bottles, and without greatly increasing the floor space heretofore necessary for such'machines;

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the improved feed mechanism for labeling machines, and in the form, construction and relative arrangement of its several parts as will be hereinafter more fullydescribed, illustratedin the accompanying drawings, and subsequently incorporated in the subjoined claims.

In the drawings, wherein I have disclosed one simple and practical embodiment of my present-invention and in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughoutthe several views,--

Figure l is a top plan View, several of the parts being shown in section and illustrating one practical embodiment ofmy present improvements; U Fig. 2 is a front elevation, parts of the machine frame being removed;

5 Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the machine;

trating the different positions of the pivoted feeding dogs in the movements of the carrier V bar in relatively'oppo site directions. In the accompanying drawings, 'for .purposes of illustrating theessential features of my present improvements, I have shown B only so .much of they labeling machine as is necessary to a clear understanding thereof. The operating parts of the labeling machine are suitably mounted in the frame structure,

a portion of which is indicatedat 5. For.

the purpose of transporting bottles or con- ,tainer's into position for the application oflabels thereto, endless conveyer chains indicatedat 6 are connected at spaced intervals by the horizontal bars 7, each of which carries a plurality of spaced flights indicated at 8.

To the forward end of the machine frame 5 ateach side thereof, suitable supports 9 are secured for a slotted bed plate10, over which the upperstretch of a-link conveyer belt 11 moves, saidbelt extending horizontally across the front of the machine and around the supporting sprockets indicated at 12 suit ably, mounted atthe opposite sides thereof. One of these sprockets is positively driven froma horizontal shaft 13 through the gearing 14,, said shaft at one end being connected by the drive belt or chain 15 with one end of the forward sprocket shaft 16 supporting the flightconveyer chains 6. At its other end, the shaft 13 has a driving connection through suitable gearing indicated at 17 and 18 with the lower end of a vertically disposed shaft 19 towhich the verticallyspaced discs 20" are fixed. These discs have peripheral sections each composed of merging convex and concave surface portions for proper engagement with the bottles'which are successively brought into contacting engagement mo with said. discs by the primary feed conveyer 21. A metal guide band 22 surrounds the outer side portions of these discs in spaced relation thereto and extends over the end of the horizontal link belt conveyer 11. Thus, it will be readily understood that in the rotation of the discs 20 in an anti-clockwise direction, the bottles are successively removed from. the continuously moving primary conveyer 21 and carried in contact with the guide band 22 by said discs and delivered in upright position upon the horizontal link con veyer 12 moving across the front of the machine.

- Upon the bed plate 10, the forward ends of the spaced rearwardly extending bars 23 are suitably fixed. These bars are located in planes intermediate ofthe bottle engaging flights 8 and a guide plate 24 extends longitudinally along one side of each bar 23 and a similar plate 25 extends along the opposite side of said bar. The upper edges of these plate are provided with slotted lugs 24' and 25 respectively engaging stud bolts 26 fixed in the bar 23. By ad ustment of these bolts, the 'de plates 24 and 25 may be rigidly clampe in suitably spaced adjustable relation with res ect to the bar 23. The forward ends of the p iates 24 and 25 are provided with parts projecting over the bed plate 10, said projecting part of the plate 25 being laterally curved as indicated at 25" in Fig. 1 of the drawings providin a convex ding and directing surface or engagement by the bottle.

The spaces between the plate 24 on one of the bars 23 and the late 25 on an adjacent bar 23 provide guidhways for the bottles, and at the bottom of each guideway, a 1ongitudinally extending bottle supporting her 27 is fixed upon an elongated supporting and guiding member 28 suitably mounted upon the machine frame. The bottle supporting bars 27 extend rearwardly to prom e continuous supports over which the bottles are transported by the conveyer fli hts 8 to the label applying mechanism. he forward end portionsof these bars 27 in conjunction with the members 28 provide the guideways shown at 29 for a reciprocal carrym bar 30 extending horizontally across the rout of the machine.

Upon the bar 30, and below each of the bars 23 a transversely elongated boss 31 is formed, said boss ad acent the rear edge of of the bar being provided with an n standing stud or pin 32, while the other en of the boss is formed with a vertical threaded socket 33 to receive the threaded end of a givot stud 34 whereby the bottle engaging ogs 35 may be pivotally and detachably mounted upon the carrying bar. These dogs are preferably formed as shown in Figs. 8

and 9, and gradually taper to one of their ends, said tapering end portions of the superposed dogs extending on relatively opposite sides of the pivot stud 34 and terminating in reversely vertically disposed lugs or extensions 36 which are adapted for operative contact with the walls of the bottles as will be presently more fully explained.

To the vertically disposed forward end of' 30, but for this purpose, I have herein shown said bar connected at its opposite ends by means of links 38 to theupper ends of levels 39 which are fixed at their lower ends to the opposite ends of arock shaft 40 journalled in suitable bearings provided on the supports 9.

To one end of the conveyer shaft 16 a cam disc 41 is fixed, said disc having a peripherally grooved hub 42 engaged by the arms of a yoke member 43 ad ustably connected by the member 44 with the crank arm 45 fixed to the end of the rock shaft 40. The disc 41 is provided with a suitably shaped cam track 46 receiving the roller 47 carried by the yoke member 43. It will thus be evident that in the" operation of the machine, :through the medium of the connections between the cam operated yoke member 43 and the bar 30, said bar will be reciprocated in the guidewa s 29.

or the pur ose of automatically simultaneously trans erring a plurality of bottles from the conveyer 11 in an upright position to the several guideways between the plates 24 and 25 and upon the bars 27, I rovide a longitudinally extending metal transversely adjustable upon a bar 49 by clamping bolts 50 threaded in said bar and extending through spaced slots in the bar 48. The bar 49 is pivotally connected at longitudinally s aced points with the ends of the parallel ra ial arms 51 on the upper ends of the vertical spindles 52, the lower ends of which are connected by gearing 53 with a horizontal shaft 54, said shaft in turn being geared to the shaft 13 as at 55. It will, of course, be understood that the various gear ratios are such that the parts 30 and positions in substantial alignment-with the several bars 27 so that when the bar 48 is carried by the arms 51 'to substantially the position seen in dotted lines in Fig. 1 of the drawings, the rear edge of this bar will simultaneously engage the spaced bottles on the belt 11 and as the rearward or inward movement of said bar 48 is continued, the bottles will be moved from the belt 11 rearwardly over the bed plate and upon the forward ends of the bars 27. Such bottles as may not be in exact alignment with said bars willbe laterally deflected and guided to proper position by the curved forward ends of the guide plates 25.

During the following continued outward and forward movement of the bar 28, a second series of bottles is carried by the conveyer 11 into proper position for transference by the bar 48. This second series of bottles will push the bottles previously positioned on the bars 27 rearwardly so that the two series are approximately in positions indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1 of the drawings, wherein it will be noted that the ends 36 of the dogs 35 in each pair project in opposite directions into the adjacent bottle guideways and between the two bottles therein. Therefore, as the bar is now moved rearwardly, the lugs 36 of the dogs will engage the inner or rear bottles on the bars 27 and carr the same rearwardly to positions approximately directly above the conveyer shaft 16. The conveyer flights 8 are constructed to straddle the respective bars 27 as they move forwardly and upwardly, the arms of each flight engaging the bottle at opposite sides of the bar 27-and transporting the same in upright position rearwardly upon said bar to the label applying means. It will of course, be understood that the relative pivotal movement of the dogs 35 from their positions in bearing engagement against the bottles is limited by contact of the pivoted ends of the dogs with the stop pin or stud 32. During this operation, the bar 48 has been operated to transfer another series of bottles from the conveyer 11, said bottles pushing the precedent series of bottles rearwardly in the same manner as above explained. Therefore, in the reverse or outward movement of the bar 30, the ends 36 of the dogs 35 will strike upon the rear s des of the inner series of bottles, said dogs being moved relative to each other to approximately the position shown in Fig. 8 of the drawings whereby they may freely pass between the adjacent bottles. As the bar 30 reaches the limit of its outward movement, said dogs are brought into engagement with the pins or studs 37, which results in said dogs being returned to their former positions with the ends-36 thereof projecting between the adjacent bottles in the guide ways and for feedinst engagement with the rear or inner bottles in the next succeeding rearward movement of the bar 30.

From the above description, it will be evi-- rapidly label bottles or other containers of the larger sizes, the said mechanism being such as to move or transfer the bottles accurately and safely in an upright position, without liability of damage to parts of the mechanism, or breakage of the bottles. It will of course, be apparent that while I have shown a feed mechanism for feeding six bottles at a time, the machine may be built for handling any desired multiple number of bottles. The drive mechanism which I have above referred to for the several oonveyer means, is merely suggestive, and this mechanism, as well as the form, construction and relative arrangement of the various other parts of the device might be incorporated in-other alternative structural forms, and I accordingly reserve the privilege of resorting to all such legitimate changes therein as may be fairly embodied within the spirit and scope of the in.- vention as claimed.

. I claim! 1. In combination with-a labeling machine, means for feeding containers to be labeled to the machine including a guideway for receiving a plurality of containers, means mountedv for reciprocating movement along the opposite sides of the guideway and comprising pivotally mounted dogs projecting into' opposite sides of the guide way, stops limiting pivotal movement of the dogs to their pro ecting positions for engagement with the innermost container in the guide- Way to feed the same through said guideway in the movement of said reciprocating means in one direction, said dogs being pivotally moved by contact with a container in the movement of said means in the opposite direction, stationary means engaging the pivoted dogs at the end of their reciprocating movement in the latter direction to move said dogs and project the same between adjacent containers in the guide way, and means for actuating said reciprocating means.

2. In combination with a labeling machine, means for feeding containers tobe labeled to said machine, said means including guide-' ways "each adapted to receive a plurality of containers, a carrler bar mounted to reclprocate longitudinally of said guide ways, spaced pairs of pivoted dogs mounted on said bar,

stationary means enacting with said dogsat the end of the recipmcating movement of said bar in one direction to pivotally movethe dogs and project the same at one of their ends into adjacent guideways and between the adjacent containers in the respective guideways, stop means limiting such pivotal. movement of the dogs to maintain the projecting ends machine having conve or means for transporting thebottles to la elreceiving position, means for feeding the bottles to said conveyer means including a continuously moving bot- 6. In feeding mechanism of the character described, an endless container conveyer,

spaced arms rotatably mounted on one side of the conveyer and movable over said c0nveyer, and a pusher bar givotally connected with said spaced arms an transversely movable across the conveyer in the rotation of said arms to simultaneously move a plurality of containers transversely of the conveyer.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as 7 my invention, I have si ned my name hereto.

- ED ARD ERMOLD.

tle conveyer spaced from one end of the transporting conveyer means and moving in a direction at right angles thereto, automatically operated means for simultaneously transferring a plurality of bottles while maintaining the same in upright position from said bottle feed conveyer to the transporting conveyer of the labeling machine, said latter means including guideways'extending between the bottle, feed conveyer and said transportin conveyer means, a member extending in ongitudinal parallel relation to the feed conveyer and movable in a horizontal lane transversely across the same, means or actuating said member to engage'the same with a plurality of bottles on said conveyer and simultaneously transfer said bottles from the conveyer to the respectiveguideways, and additional means for feedin the bottles singly through the respective guideways to the transporting conveyor means. i

4. In feeding mechanism of the character described, a plurality of spaced container supporting bars each adapted to receive and support a row of containers, a member extending transversely across said bars and moving longitudinally thereof, means for reciprocating said member, and spaced devices carried by said member, said devices being arranged between the supporting bars and each having parts to engage containers supported on adjacent bars to move the same longitudinally thereon in the movement of said member in one direction.

5. In feeding mechanism of the character described, a plurality of spaced container supporting bars each adapted to receive and support a row of containers, a member extending transversely across said bars and moving longitudinally thereof, means for reciprocating said member, and spaced pairs of pivoted dogs between the supporting bars mounted on said member, the dogs in each pair engaging containers on adjacent supporting bars to move the samelongitudinally therealong in the movement of said member in one direction, and said dogs being pivotally moved by contact with the containers in the movement of said member in the reverse direction. 

